Identity's Past
by AlterEthereal
Syaoran returned to find his princess, but discovered she has been missing in action for years. Now, a mysterious, distant girl has arrived in the city... could his princess be right under his nose?
Well guys, I've managed to bust out another chapter before going back into school mode. If I can, I'll work out another chappie by Sunday, but after that, I'm afraid it's back to week-long waits between chappies.
everyone (including the authoress): *whines*
Anyway, until then, I'm gonna ham it up, starting by thanking all the wonderful reviewers: sapphire999, Tramie, and AniMeCrAzy273!! Thanx, guys! All your reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside! lol! And yes, we do indeed get to learn more about that crazy village! Aren't ya just thrilled?? Also, I'm working on a story posted at fictionpress.com. my penname there is the same as my penname here, and I'm under "manga..." what else? lol. anyway, Enjoy! ^_^
Alter-chan: yeah, i'll bet you guys have been wondering why the authoress classified this thing under "action/adventure" when so far practically the entire story has been alternating between fluff and angst. well, the action is comin' soon.
Bob: TNF! TNF! TNF!!
Alter-chan: that's right, Bob, Syaoran and Sakura are tough, not fluff. -_-;
Zuri: but Syaoran's hair is kinda fluffy... ooooh O.O *stares at old CCS reruns*
Sophia and Anaru: *drag Zuri and Bob off to a mental hospital*
Leif: ne, don't you think that was just a little harsh?
Alter-chan: NO!!
Leif: *cowers in corner*
Alter-chan: that's better. no one questions the great and powerful authoress!! MUA HA HA HA HA!! now, i guess i'll just get the disclaimer over with, since i'm too lazy to pester anyone into it today. DISCLAIMER: I, AlterEthereal, do not own Card Captor Sakura or any characters thereforth associated. I do, however, own the AlterEthereal crew, Felix, Sorina, and Wu Tai, as well as all those crazy villagers down there. *grins stupidly*
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Chapter 16: Understanding
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Syaoran watched as the little girl wriggled out of Sakura's grasp and slid down to the ground. His gaze drifted upward to Sakura's face, only to see that she seemed to be in a trance, herself. Now he looked in the direction of the voice as well.
A dark-haired boy with clear, sapphire-blue eyes stood at a distance, staring intently at the newcomers. Sorina ran to him and threw herself around his leg, causing him to break his gaze and focus on the child at his feet. He kneeled down and allowed a small smile to adorn his lips, raising a hand to gently mess up the little girl's hair. Bending over slightly, he whispered something into her ear, causing the child to giggle lightly. He stood back up and watched as Sorina skipped off toward the small cluster of huts nearby.
Sakura was still staring. "Felix..." she mumbled, much to Syaoran's surprise. What surprised him even more was when she suddenly took off in the strange boy's direction--no warning, no goodbye, not even a glance. What the...?
He felt a sharp jolt in his chest when Sakura threw her arms around the boy's neck and hugged him ferociously. Was he feeling a hint of… jealousy? Yes, definitely jealousy. Hell, he was all but outraged by this strong display of affection.
Who the hell is this guy? he thought angrily.
Sakura let the boy go... or at least his neck. She then grabbed his arm and began dragging him back in Syaoran's direction. Meanwhile, the amber-eyed boy was about ready to run off and sulk somewhere by himself. When Sakura arrived, he had a glare on his face to be matched by no other. She, however, didn't seem fazed.
"Syaoran, this is Felix. He was the first friend I made down here, and he's kinda been like a brother to me ever since."
A brother, huh? "Hn..." was Syaoran's immaculate response. "Nice to meet you."
The other boy raised an eyebrow ever-so-slightly, then looked to Sakura. Obviously, he had no idea what was being said. Sakura translated easily, moving fluently between the two languages like water.
[Here's how it rings out:
Sakura: He's the boy I told you about.
Felix: But what's he doing here?
Sakura: I... had to come back, and he followed me.
Felix: Tell him I said if he doesn't take care of you, I'll kill him.
Sakura: "He says that if you don't take care of me, he'll kill you."
Syaoran: "Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots."
Sakura: He says he'll do his best.]
The blue-eyed boy extended a hand toward Syaoran, who reluctantly took it. He had been sure a rivalry would ensue between them, but that preconception melted away as Felix's expression contorted into an oddly familiar smirk. Syaoran scanned his memory, trying to think of where he'd seen that look before, when suddenly he realized: it was the same look that was plastered on his own face most of the time.
Syaoran flashed his own smirk and tightened his grip on the other boy's hand. Felix followed suit, and by the time they let go of each other's hand, Syaoran knew they had a "mutual understanding." Not about Sakura, who seemed completely oblivious to the entire ordeal, but more like a certain respect a man has for another when he admits they may be equal. Sakura would be a different story.
His attention turned to the the woman in question, but she seemed to be listening intently to something being said a few meters away. After a few moments, she turned to the two boys and muttered something--first in the strange language, and then in one Syaoran could understand.
"I'll be back, ok? You two stay here."
Syaoran nodded his reply and watched as Sakura drifted away toward a small group of people nearby. He turned his gaze toward Felix, who had apparently also been watching her. Their eyes met for a few moments, during which the blue-eyed boy raised an brow questioningly. He glanced toward Sakura and then back to Syaoran, asking a wordless question his companion understood perfectly.
Syaoran smirked then nodded once, putting the look in his eyes that silently claimed the emerald-eyed beauty. And so the two boys waited for her to come back.
When Sakura returned, however, there was a severely distraught look on her face that Syaoran knew meant one thing: trouble!
~*~
Sakura was terrified as she ran to the two waiting boys.
"Syaoran! One of the villagers is missing! I'm afraid it's..."
The smug look that adorned Syaoran's face for some reason that Sakura wasn't sure of quickly disappeared, being replaced by worry. He closed the short distance between them and, taking her into his arms, shushed her, as she was on the verge of panic and tears. "It's Wu Tai. I understand. Calm down now, and tell me what happened."
"A boy went out to hunt yesterday and hasn't come back," Sakura sobbed. "It's him, I just know it's him! This is all my fault for getting the village mixed up in this..."
"Shh, Sakura, it's not your fault. He's the one who sent us down here; he's probably been planning this."
She rested herself in his strong arms, realizing how right he was. That, of course, didn't mean it was painless. She was the one he was after. Why did he have to put innocent people in the middle?
"Come on, Sakura. We have to go after him."
"We?"
"Yeah, we. He wants both of us dead, right? Well, then, he'll have to get through both of us."
Sakura looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "You mean it?"
"Yeah. Now let's go kick his scrawny, robed ass!"
She couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words, as well as the smirk he bore on his handsome face. It was the same one he used to use when they were out hunting for cards. She almost reluctantly lifted herself from his embrace and looked around, suddenly noticing something--or rather, a lack of something.
"Felix... what happened to Felix?"
"Eh, I probably scared him off."
His macho statement was met by an elbow in the side. "Syaoran!"
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Alter-chan: so do you guys like the cool village so far?
Leif: *still cowering in the corner, now rocking back and forth on his heels*
Bob and Zuri: *off in the mental hospital*
Sophia and Anaru: *coming back*
Alter-chan: hey, um, i think we have another one for the funny farm... *points to Leif*
Sophia and Anaru: -_-; *drag Leif off*
~AlterEthereal